Abstract

The fisheries sector plays a very vital role in the Indian economy. It addresses various issues like food and nutritional security, employment, livelihood support and socio-economic status of fishing communities. The sector provides employment and income to over 5 million fishers and fish fmmers, majority of whom live in over 3600 coastal villages, besides fisher's hamlets along major liver basins and reservoirs in the country. The fish production in India registered an excellent growth during the past half century and reached 7.4 million t in the year 2008 from a meagre 0.75 million t in 1950.The fishers primarily depend on fisheries in these waters for their livelihoods.